An unprotected pedestrian is a lot more likely to suffer serious injuries in a traffic accident compared to anyone inside the vehicle that struck the pedestrian. However, different types of injuries caused by this sort of incident can have very different effects on different people, which in turn means that no two lawsuits or settlement demands over pedestrian accidents are exactly alike.
Fortunately, you have support available to you from knowledgeable legal professionals with experience getting good results from all kinds of pedestrian accident claims, including ones very much like yours. Here are some examples of Philadelphia pedestrian accident injuries that a seasoned lawyer could help you recover fair financial compensation for.
Bone fractures—particularly in the upper legs, pelvis, ribs, and shoulders—are one of the most common and one of the most complex injuries that can occur during a pedestrian accident in Philadelphia. Even comparatively minor injuries can take months to fully heal and significantly limit mobility while that healing process is ongoing. More severe injuries like compound fractures may require surgical intervention to correct, which can prolong the healing process and be very expensive.
Damage to the soft tissues of the body—meaning muscles, tendons, ligaments, and the nerves threaded through and between them—is also a common outcome of collisions between cars and pedestrians in Philadelphia. While they are fortunately not permanent injuries in most situations, they can still keep an injured person out of work for a long time, require expensive rehabilitative care, and be physically and psychologically painful.
At particularly high speeds, Philadelphia pedestrian accidents can create enough force to penetrate through the rib cage and the soft tissues surrounding it, causing life-altering and potentially life-threatening injuries to the organs within. This type of trauma is often accompanied by some type of bone fracture—for example, a broken rib being forced inward and puncturing a lung—and the physical recovery process may last for years or, in the worst-case scenario, simply be a matter of managing permanent disability rather than overcoming it.
Some types of pedestrian crashes can lead to a pedestrian sustaining a catastrophic impact to their spine or skull, resulting in debilitating damage to the spinal cord or brain. Both types of injuries can cause permanent and irreversible paralysis in various parts of the body. Severe brain injuries, in particular, could also result in a permanent loss of cognitive function. Either way, this type of injury often leaves the affected person unable to work for a living or even care for themselves on a daily basis.
You deserve to be compensated fairly for all injuries and losses you suffer solely because of another person’s misconduct, especially if that misconduct led to you being struck by a speeding car operated by a negligent driver. In practice, though, getting paid what you need for the effects of Philadelphia pedestrian accident injuries can be much more challenging than you might expect, especially if you try to pursue your claim alone.
Guidance from a knowledgeable lawyer could be all but essential to understanding and effectively enforcing your rights after being injured in this way. Call today for a consultation.
